


I Love You... Nice to Meet You

by Stacysmash



Series: Soulmate AU [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Background side ships, Fluff, Getting Together, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, One brief scene of smut, Romantic Soulmates, Sexual Content, Soulmates, ToraKen, YamaKen - Freeform, snippets of established relationship, soulmate dreams, the rest is fluff with a sprinkling of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 09:21:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15288450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/pseuds/Stacysmash
Summary: Everyone knows that sometime after your sixteenth birthday, the dreams begin. They aren’t exactly dreams, more like jumps in time to give you a snapshot of your future, a blurry vision of your soulmate and your life together. They occur in no particular order and only give a few minutes at the most, so it doesn’t give away too much. As time ticks down to the moment you meet your soulmate, they start lessening until they finally stop.*There is only really one brief smutty scene in the beginning, so it's easy to skip if you're not comfortable with it*





	I Love You... Nice to Meet You

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: This is one freaking long one-shot. My apologies, it got a little out of hand, ha ha ha.

Everyone knows that sometime after your sixteenth birthday, the dreams begin. They aren’t exactly dreams, more like jumps in time to give you a snapshot of your future, a blurry vision of your soulmate and your life together. They occur in no particular order and only give a few minutes at the most, so it doesn’t give away too much. As time ticks down to the moment you meet your soulmate, they start lessening until they finally stop.

**First Year- Daichi**

“So,” Suga began in a playful tone, “Are you guys excited?”

Daichi looked up from his lunch and continued to chew, which took a couple minutes with how much he had stuffed in his mouth. Suga let out an exasperated sigh while Asahi snickered, though he hadn’t answered the question either. Just to rub it in, Daichi nearly took another bite but got a fist pounded against his head before he could sink his teeth in his rice ball.

“Ow! About what?”

“Your dreams! Both your birthdays are just in a few days, right?”

“Yeah, so? You told us it’s not exact, why are you so excited to know if we have a soulmate.”

“What do you mean _if_? Are you thinking you don’t have a soulmate?”

Daichi shrugged and took a bite, hoping the food would calm the unease swirling in his stomach. He wasn’t sure if it would be a good thing or not if he had a soulmate. The idea of having someone meant to be with you was attractive, but when it came to anything romantic Daichi felt completely over his head. His worst nightmare was to meet his soulmate only for them to be disappointed with him.

“I have to admit I’m nervous,” Asahi admitted, staring down at his food like it was his last meal.

“Ugh, you two are so pathetic. This is one of the most exciting times in your life and you’re both acting like you’re going to die.”

Daichi frowned at his friend sitting across from him.

“It’s not like you’ve told us much about your dreams.”

“I’ve only had a few,” Suga replied, toying with his food as a blush rose on his cheeks. He had described bits of his dreams but always seemed to omit most them. Daichi and Asahi never pressed him since it was obvious that Suga chose not to share the more intimate details of his future relationship and those details weren’t any of their business.

“I get it, but just keep in mind, Mr. Nosy, that we might not share ours either.”

Suga huffed, but for once couldn’t find his way around the argument. He glanced at Asahi for help, but his cowardly friend nearly dove headfirst back into his bento to avoid any confrontation. He rolled his eyes and dropped the subject. He knew that if his friends end up having a dream of over break they would definitely tell him, so all he had to do was be patient.

\---

Daichi’s sixteenth birthday came and went without any strange occurrences or mystical dreams. He spent most of his break enjoying the free time with his family and helping the twins build a snow castle in their front lawn. He wanted the peace to last as long as possible before Suga caved and started texting him impertinent questions.

Two days passed by without any dreams, and a little niggling worry began to form in his mind that perhaps he didn’t have a soulmate. The very thought made his heart ache, and Daichi wondered what had changed over the past week that it would affect him so much. Before he just shrugged it off, but everything was different now that he was finally sixteen. Luckily, that night he received the answer he was craving.

_Daichi opened his eyes to find the world slightly blurry. It was as if he was seeing the world through a white curtain, and no matter how many times he tried fluttering his eyelids to clear up his vision they refused to obey his command, blinking only so often on their own. Another strange thing was that he wasn’t lying down like he should have been; he was standing in front of a stove while his hands moved over each dish so fluidly it seemed to be from muscle memory._

_His gaze lowered as his hand turned one of the dials, and Daichi got a glimpse of his bare chest and his low-slung sweatpants underneath. He wanted to yelp at the difference, but no sound came out as he resumed cooking. Everything seemed bigger than it should have been, his height, muscles, even the size of his feet._

_Like a slap in the face, Daichi realized what this was: a vision of his future. But the only way that would happen was if he had a soulmate, and so far he seemed to be all alone. However, as much food as Daichi could pack away on his own, the amount he was cooking was more than enough for him. If Daichi had been physically watching the scene, as if he was sitting in a movie theater, he would have leaned forward eagerly to see if his soulmate was going to appear._

_He nearly grew bored as he finally finished cooking breakfast and began setting the food out. Then he lumbered over to the coffee pot to fill a giant mug, guzzling some down before topping it off._

_Suddenly rough fingers began to squeeze his waist, and he let out a yelp as some coffee splashed out onto the kitchen floor. Internally Daichi was still stunned and confused, but he could feel the flash of irritation roiling in his veins as a dark chuckle curled into his ear._

_“I’m sorry, Love. Did I surprise you?”_

_“There’s no way that was an accident,” Daichi grumbled, and the chuckling continued as a set of long, tan arms wrapped around his waist. Daichi shivered as a hot breath tickled over his ear, and there was something about the warm embrace that melted all his anger away._

_“Don’t worry, I’ll clean it up. Smells delicious.”_

_“Me or the food?” Daichi teased since the person behind him seemed to be breathing in his hair._

_“Mmmm, both.”_

_Daichi moved his mug to one hand and slapped the person’s head lightly._

_“Come on, you Idiot. Food’s going to get cold and we need to get ready for work.”_

_“Alright, I’ll come back for this later,” The sly voice said as a hand slipped down the front of his sweats. After a harder slap Daichi was finally freed and together they settled down to eat. He only briefly got a glimpse of someone sitting across from him when everything turned white._

Daichi opened his eyes, but this time he was able to flutter them as much as he liked. He straightened up and looked around; he was back in his room and it was morning. Just in case he pulled the neck of his shirt out and peeked inside to find his body back to his sixteen-year-old self.

He sighed and flopped back onto the pillow to ruminate on what had happened. He had a soulmate, and not a cute, sweet girl like his mother probably imagined. It was definitely a man and a demon at that. Despite being worried about a potential soulmate, he certainly didn’t expect _that_. He wondered if his future would be filled with a rotten lover who lived to get on his nerves. The dream was just a snapshot, though. Perhaps the next one would show a deeper level of maturity in their relationship that he could look forward to.

\---

_When he opened his eyes, he was still on a bed from what he could see through the blurriness, but he was balanced on his knees and forearms with sweat dripping down his face. That’s when he felt the heat churning inside his body and the pressure slipping in and out of him as his body was rocked back and forth. Fingers gripped into his sides, keeping him steady as his lover began thrusting a little faster._

_A cry escaped Daichi’s mouth, his chest throbbing from the chaotic drumming of his heart._

_“Was that too rough?” His lover asked as he leaned forward onto his back, his voice raspy and concerned rather than sly._

_“No… it felt great,” Daichi said, and had he been watching the scene in a movie theater he would have hidden his bright red face behind his hands at his honest answer. The moans rumbling through his throat were embarrassingly lurid, but he received an answering one from his lover as he once again picked up the pace._

_Daichi dug his fingers into the pillow, dropping his head down to feel a slightly different angle. He squeezed his eyes shut, and Daichi wondered if that was better since there was nothing to distract from the sound of their rough breaths panting in the quiet of the room and the scalding heat pushing into him in rhythmic pulses. He felt his senses climbing, unable to stop it as his needy whines grew in volume._

_Suddenly a warm hand reached around to encase his own throbbing--_

Daichi’s eyes opened and stared at the ceiling. It was dark and quiet, and he felt a flood of disappointment that it was just a dream. He groaned as he rubbed his hands over his flushed face and tried to console himself that it was at least in his future. There was just one problem he sensed as he propped himself up on his elbows, wincing at the tent in his pants that was beginning to ache.

His eyes flickered over at the clock; it was still the middle of the night, so he just needed to stay quiet. Biting his lip, he slid his hand down lift his pants over his erection and wrapped his palm around it. It was already dripping with precum, and his hand was sweaty from his dream. Slowly he began pumping, but it didn’t feel nearly as exciting as it had when his lover curled his fingers around it.

With a huff, Daichi flipped over and balanced on his knees like he had been in the dream. He squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in the pillow, continuing the movement of his hand as he tried to throw his mind back in the moment. It helped to imagine his lover right behind him, connected and moving in beautiful unison. He couldn’t recreate the heat pummeling his insides, however, and he contemplated reaching back and slipping his own fingers in.

Daichi whimpered at the thought and continued to focus on the vision; he’ll try it one day when he was ready. He remembered how caring his lover seemed, deliciously rough yet never pushing him further than his pleasure would allow. He knew Daichi inside and out, and suddenly a tiny little seed of trust began to blossom within Daichi. Perhaps there was more to the man with the sly voice than living to torture him.

Daichi’s breath shuddered as he tried reigning in his voice. It was the first time pleasuring himself had riled him up to that extent. He imagined his lover purring tantalizing words in his ear and then rubbing his back as he gave a soft encouragement. Soon he was spilling into his hand, biting his other hand with a soft whine slipping out of his throat.

He stayed there for a minute as he came down from his high. His hand released its grip and drifted upwards, and Daichi cringed at the mess he had made. Luckily it was still too early for anyone to be up, and after straightening his pants he snuck down the hall to the bathroom to clean himself up. When he made it back to his room, he stripped the sheets off the bed and threw a couple blankets on instead. He flopped down onto it and yanked one of the blankets over his body. It was strange how empty his bed was beginning to feel, but Daichi knew it would probably still be a while before he crossed paths with his soulmate.

\---

“So? Spill it!” Suga chirped as Daichi and Asahi joined him in a booth at their favorite cafe. Daichi had been putting his friend off every time he asked to hang out, but with only a few days left of break, he knew he had to cave. 

“Spill what?” Daichi asked, smirking at the flash of anger across his friend’s face. Suga was rather popular throughout school because of his friendly nature and his ethereal good looks. If only those girls who giggled whenever he walked by knew his true nature.

“Asahi? Talk,” Suga ordered as he began sucking down his extra-large coffee.

“Oh, well, I— um, just had a couple.”

“Good! That’s a start. Do you know anything about them?”

Asahi scrunched up his face as he thought back. Daichi observed him closely, and he could tell right away Asahi had yet to dream of any intimate situations, otherwise he’d be a blushing mess.

“Well, the first one was kind of nice. I was just sitting in a chair, watching TV, and I couldn’t see her at all. But I felt her fingers running through my hair. I feel like she was braiding it, and the way she kept laughing I imagine it was very fancy looking, but it still felt good. Her fingers were calming, and she obviously liked my hair, so…” Asahi’s voice drifted off as his cheeks began to blossom a light pink. He pressed his lips together and looked at Daichi who gave him a shrug.

“That sounds great, I don’t know why you’re so flustered.”

“It is, it’s just strange.”

“That wasn’t the only dream you had though, right?” Suga asked, hunching forward eagerly.

Asahi winced and shook his head.

“There was one more, but I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Why not?!”

“Because she was teasing me, and I would rather not repeat what she said. Then you guys will make fun of me,” Asahi admitted as he buried his face in his hands. Suga let out a malicious cackle, and Daichi snickered as he gave Asahi an encouraging pat on the back.

“Well, looks like you and I might have similar types.”

Asahi lifted his face from his hands, wide-eyed and hopeful as he gazed at Daichi. Suga’s laughs also faded away at the mention of Daichi’s own soulmate.

“So, it’s true? You have one too?” Suga asked and Daichi nodded.

“Yeah, and from what I can tell he’s got a rotten personality.”

“Ooooooh, _he_?” Suga repeated, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Hmm, I wouldn’t have guessed that.”

“So? It’s no big deal, right?” Daichi asked, suddenly uncertain about what his friends would think though they were the least judgmental people he’d ever met. Suga waved his hand to waft away Daichi’s worries.

“Of course not! Mine’s a man as well.”

“What?! You never told us that!”

“Oh… whoops.”

Daichi rolled his eyes as Suga buried his sheepish smile in his coffee cup and lifted it back.

“So, what happened in your dream, Daichi?” Asahi asked, a calm smile spreading now that he had gotten everything off his chest.

“Well, the first one was mainly just me cooking breakfast, except I was a lot older and… bigger.”

“Oh? Where exactly?” Suga asked as his eyebrows wiggled.

“You’re the devil. I meant my body in general; I was taller with more muscles.”

“Nice.”

“Anyways, I had set the table, grabbed some coffee, and my _adorable_ lover squeezes my sides and makes me spill it. His voice is really sly, too, I wonder how I’m ever going to trust him.”

Suga laughed, his excitement evident in the way he bounced in the booth.

“Oh, I can’t wait to meet him. It’s going to be so much fun watching him piss you off!”

“Wait a minute, we’ve already told you a lot about ours, but it’s been nearly half a year since you turned sixteen and you still have barely told us about yours!”

Suga pressed his lips together and puffed out his cheeks like a petulant child. Asahi joined Daichi in glaring across the table and he rolled his eyes in response with a groan.

“Fine! There’s not much to tell; he’s a man, and he’s… big and strong. Definitely plays some sport, not sure if it’s volleyball yet though.”

“What kind of dreams have you had with him? Do you know his name yet?”

Suga gulped and looked out the window while his fingers trailed around the rim of his cup.

“I’ve had a lot of… sexy dreams, so I can’t exactly go into detail.”

“That’s what I figured since you were so hushed about it.”

“I just hope our future relationship is more than just sex, I’ve rarely had one that isn’t that.”

“Why do I feel like you’re bragging?” Daichi asked with an eyebrow cocked.

“I’m not! He he, okay maybe just a bit. I certainly enjoy everything we do. The only name I know is Toshi.”

“Toshi? Is that his first name?”

Suga shrugged.

“Couldn’t say, but that’s usually the name I call out when I— “

“Okay!” Daichi and Asahi shouted in unison and Suga giggled into his hand.

“You know, I’m glad I can finally talk about it with you guys. Before it just seemed so… intimate, like a secret that shouldn’t be shared. But now that you both have your own soulmates it seems different. Anyways, thanks.”

“For what?” Daichi asked, giving his friend a playful against his knee with his foot. “For being friends with you? For having soulmates?”

“For understanding, Stupid,” Suga replied, but his smile was fond as his two best friends chuckled at him from across the table. “At least talking about this is exciting. If this next year is as disappointing with volleyball as this one was…”

“It’ll be better,” Daichi answered quickly, tipping his chin up with confidence. “And if it’s not, we’ll make our third year the greatest Karasuno has ever seen.”

“How can you be so sure of yourself?” Asahi groaned as he dropped his head to the table.

“Asahi, if you’re going to be our ace you’re going to have to get some nerve. Think about it, that would be one less thing for your soulmate to tease you about.”

Asahi didn’t lift his head but emitted a groan so defeated his friends could only roll their eyes.

“I hope you’re right, Daichi,” Suga said softly as his eyes flickered out the window.

“Come on, when have I ever been wrong?”

Suga’s eyes turned back on him with one eyebrow raised, and even Asahi lifted his head to give him a deadpan look. Suddenly they all began laughing. Whether they succeeded in volleyball or not, Daichi was sure they’d enjoy it together.

 

**Second-year- Kuroo**

Even when he wasn’t thinking about much, Kuroo’s lips were set in a smirk. It was his natural face, and Yaku told him it’s the whole reason he didn’t get much attention from girls since it made him look untrustworthy. Kuroo thought that was rich coming from Yaku since his teammate didn’t trust him either until partway through his first year. It was only recently that Kuroo felt that he was growing closer with Yaku and Kai, not just as teammates but as friends. And better yet this year Kenma was on the team as well, his oldest and best friend.

His eyes flickered down at him as they made their way to the locker room and frowned. For once Kenma wasn’t staring down at his games as he walked, using Kuroo’s presence as a guide so he didn’t run into anything. Instead, his eyes looked dull as they stared at the floor, his fingers gripped tight on the strap of his school bag.

Kuroo winced, hating the anxiety his upperclassmen were inflicting on his friend. They had their own ideas on how to whip first years into shape, and they had assumed Kenma was lazy and unintelligent. It made Kuroo furious that they’d assume something so idiotic, especially without taking the chance to get to know him. It was taking everything he had to convince Kenma to stay on the team, knowing that it would be better for him in the long run since their upperclassmen were stepping down after Interhigh.

“Stop staring at me, I’ll be fine… I’m not going anywhere,” Kenma said quietly, his regular annoyance edging his voice. Kuroo huffed out a laugh and turned his gaze back in front of him.

“I know you’ll be fine. I’m the one who told you that, after all.”

“Then stop worrying. It’s bad enough I have to deal with Tora and his… enthusiasm,” Kenma said, twisting his mouth at the last word as if it tasted horrible. Kuroo snickered into his hand, but he still earned a dirty look from his friend. Kenma and their teammate Yamamoto Taketora mixed like oil and water, but Kuroo knew they just needed to get in sync in the same way he had with Yaku the year before.

He had to admit Yamamoto’s exuberance and extreme volume grated on his own nerves, but he had a good feeling about the first year with his potential. Not only that, but when Kuroo saw the comical glare on Kenma’s face when arguing with Yamamoto he couldn’t help but enjoy the little changes in his friend. It took a lot to elicit such a reaction from Kenma and he was excited to see how he developed over the next couple years.

As they approached the locker room, they cringed when they heard Yamamoto’s voice bursting through the door and echoing down the hallway.

“What is he on about now?” Kenma groaned as he dragged his feet onward as if he was approaching a hangman’s noose.

“No clue, but he sounds excited about someth— “

“Come on, Yaku-san! I wanna hear about it, it’ll take forever for me to have my own.”

“Shut up. The dreams are personal you know.”

Kuroo stiffened and hesitated at the door, frozen at the mention of dreams. All the irritation on Kenma’s face faded to a subtle concern as his golden eyes flickered up at Kuroo.

“Do you want me to go on ahead and try to change the subject?”

“Nah, it’s fine. I’m nearly seventeen, I can handle a bunch of idiot chatter.”

With a deep breath, Kuroo slipped into the locker room, the boisterous chatter pausing to offer their cheerful greetings to Kuroo and Kenma. Yaku’s eyes caught Kuroo’s for a moment, and immediately the Libero tried changing the subject to an upcoming practice match with Fukurodani. With an appreciative nod, Kuroo began slipping off his uniform to change into his volleyball kit.    

“Kuroo-san, what about you?” Yamamoto interrupted as he leaned against the lockers beside Kuroo.

“What about me?”

“What are your soulmate dreams like?”

“None of your business,” Kuroo said, trying to keep his voice gentle yet still blunt enough that he’d get the hint.

“But you’ll be seventeen soon, you must have had a bunch by now!”

“Tora,” Kenma’s quiet yet commanding voice cut in, and the whole locker room went quiet. “Some people want to talk about their soulmates, and some don’t. Learn to tell the difference.”

Kuroo ignored the feeling of eyes on his back and slipped his T-shirt over his head. He was relieved Kenma’s words at least got Yamamoto to shut up, and without looking around he shut his locker and grabbed his water bottle.

“Come on, guys. We gotta get training or we’ll never beat Fukurodani.”

“You got it, Future Captain!” Yaku chirped behind him, and Kuroo rolled his eyes as his grin slid back on. He still found it hard to believe he’d been chosen as the next Captain already, but the faith his team had in him filled him with pride.

As he lumbered out into the gym, Yaku gave him a rough pat on the back and he let out an over exaggerated grunt. People could say what they wanted about Yaku’s height, but the little guy was packed full of power.

“I’m alright, let’s go kick some ass,” He muttered, just loud enough for Yaku to hear.

“You got it.”

\---

“Mom, I’m home!” Kuroo called through the front door when he arrived after practice.

“In the kitchen! Dinner’s almost ready!”

Kuroo inhaled and filled his nose with the sweet aroma of grilled fish. He lumbered as if intoxicated toward the origin of the scent and leaned against the doorway to the kitchen.

“What have I done to deserve such a treat?”

His mother burst out laughing and shook her head.

“It’s not what you did, it’s what I did! Our team project worked out and now I’m first in line to be promoted!”

Kuroo straightened in surprise and rushed in to wrap his long arms around his mother’s smaller frame.

“That’s amazing! Well done!”

“Alright, alright. Go set the table so we can dig in. You can bring me breakfast in bed in the morning to treat me.”

Kuroo snorted and planted a kiss in his mother’s wavy hair.

“As you wish, my Lady.”

Kuroo consumed himself with his mother’s radiant aura of happiness as they settled down to eat, trying to force out his earlier feelings of tension. He was off all through practice just because of Yamamoto’s questions, and they weren’t even that impertinent. He knew he needed to get used to it; most people spoke of their soulmates and subsequent dreams. How was his kouhai supposed to know any different?

“Tetsurou? Is something bothering you?”

“No, why?”

She set her chopsticks down and clasped her hands on the table, giving him _that_ look and he knew there was no getting out of it.

“I just don’t really want to talk about it. I was wanting to push it aside and focus on other things.”

His mother snorted and rolled her eyes.

“When did I ever teach you such nonsense? There’s no escaping your problems. Whatever it is, Sweetie, you need to acknowledge it. Situations like this are growing opportunities, even if it feels like torture. Now are you going to tell me or am I going to sit here pouting during _my_ celebration dinner?”

Kuroo gave her a smile, though the expression wasn’t a reflection of his true feelings. His Mother’s face became serious as her eyes picked Kuroo apart.

“Is it about your soulmate?”

“I never said I had one.”

“But you do. I’m not stupid.”

Kuroo pinched his lips together as his eyes slid away. He busied himself by picking at his rice with his chopsticks but couldn’t shake his mother’s stare.

“Who cares?”

“I do, and I know you do, too. Tetsurou, listen to me,” She said softly as her hands slid between the dishes and covered Kuroo’s. He felt hot tears prickle his eyes as he finally drew them back to hers. Not for the first time, he wished he looked more like her with her honest smile and bright, dark eyes. He didn’t want to resemble _him_ in any way.

“We need to talk about this, I’ve waited for nearly a year as it is. I want to know why you refuse to acknowledge your soulmate. I know it has to do with me, but I want to know why specifically. Are you afraid of being abandoned?”

“No… that’s not it.”

“Then, you’re feeling guilty? Because you actually have a soulmate when I had none?”

A tear escaped his eye as his lips remained tight shut, but reluctantly he gave her a nod.

“Well, that’s just ridiculous. You know my dream is for you to have a beautiful relationship with someone. You think I want you to suffer the way I did?”

“No, but— “

“No buts. I won’t pressure you to tell me about her but think of what she would feel if you were refusing to acknowledge her?”

“Him.”

“What?”

Kuroo sniffed and rubbed the side of his face on his shoulder to wipe the stray tears away.

“Him. My soulmate is a man.”

Slowly the concern melted from his mother’s face as her smile bathed him in warmth, her hands giving him a tight squeeze.

“What’s he like?”

Kuroo had never spoken of him, not even to Kenma. He was this whole person Kuroo kept to himself like a secret. Every little flash he’d glimpsed suddenly filled his mind: the broad shoulders, the cheek marred by a mysterious scar, the warm, brown eyes Kuroo wanted to sink into.

His mother began laughing, and he startled stiff at her reaction.

“What’s so funny?”

“You haven’t even said anything, and you’re already blushing. Have you had dirty dreams about him?” His mother teased, her grin completely evil.

_Hmm, maybe I’m more like her than I thought._

“No! Well, yeah, I’ve had a few. It’s just I’ve never talked about him and it feels so… personal.”

“Take your time, but I can’t wait to hear about him. I can’t wait till you meet him!” She giggled, a girlish sound she usually saved for her romantic dramas when the main characters kissed with cheesy music in the background.

“Mom, I’m still scared.”

“About what?”

“I don’t want to leave you.”

His mother looked at him like he was crazy.

“And here I thought you were a smarty pants. Who said anything about you leaving me? If he’s meant to be with you then he’ll have no problem living with both of us. With all our incomes combined I’m sure we could afford a house big enough that I can grant you a little privacy when you need it,” She said with a wink.

Despite the tease, her words sunk deep into Kuroo, prying open the creaky door where he stored all the dreams he had of his soulmate. Kuroo released a shuddering sob, overwhelmed by all the feelings flooding him at once.

“Oh, Sweetie.”

“I’m fine, it’s just… I felt guilty about him too. By shutting him away I felt like I was doing to him what Dad did to you.”

His mother lifted herself from the table with a sigh and walked over to him, slipping her arms around him and pulling him close.

“Those are two different things, and you haven’t even met him yet. Besides, the fact that you feel guilty tells me you already care about him deeply.”

“How could I not?” He whispered, shutting his eyes as he nuzzled into her shoulder. He still remembers the first dream he ever had, just a few days after his sixteenth birthday.

 _The first thing he felt was complete warmth, more than he usually felt when he woke up._ _He realized with a shock that instead of his head being shoved between two pillows, his face was nuzzling between a pillow and someone’s neck. He tried opening his eyes, but he didn’t seem to be in control of himself._

_“Tetsu,” A deep voice rumbled in front of him, and Kuroo felt his lips turn up in a grin. “Come on, we gotta get up._

_Without opening his eyes, Kuroo tightened his grip around his lover’s waist and buried his face even deeper if it was possible. He breathed in the musky scent prickled with a hint of spice, filling him with a sense of comfort and familiarity._

_“I have ways of getting you up, you know,” The voice chuckled. Kuroo liked the sound of his voice, the way it rumbled like a distant thunderstorm though with a playful edge to it._

_“My superpower is laziness, I doubt you, feeble human, would be able to counteract it,” Kuroo teased as he gave a light bite into the shoulder beneath him._

_“Alright, you asked for it.”_

_The body Kuroo was stuck on suddenly rolled back on top of him, smothering him under a massive weight. The voice laughed at him as he wheezed and flailed his arms out from each side._

_“Give up?”_

_“Yes,” He groaned, and his lover rolled off to allow him to breathe. He gasped in the sweet air with laughter on his lips, relishing in the wave of cool air washing over his skin. As his eyes fluttered and glanced over at the figure slipping his sweatpants, he realized that everything was a little blurry, like he had a sheet over his head or something. He wanted to squint to get a better view of the man, but from what he could tell he had beautiful broad shoulders and a muscular physique._

_Suddenly, Kuroo let out a low whistle, and he was surprised his future self was having the same thoughts he was._

_“Shut up, and get your ass out of bed,” The man laughed, shaking his head before leaving the room. Kuroo snickered and stretched out across the bed, arching his back with a groan. He was happy, Kuroo could feel the warmth swirling in his future self._

For years he had refused the idea of a soulmate. He placed all the blame on his father, a man he hadn’t seen since he was seven. His father had met his mother in college, and the chemistry between them was undeniable. She had never had any soulmate dreams and knew there wasn’t this one person who was meant for her. She was fine with that and spent her youth thinking that perhaps she’d find love in someone who lost their soulmate or who, like her, had none. All of that changed when she met Kuroo’s father who fell deeply in love with her despite having soulmate dreams since he was sixteen.

There was only so long she could resist, the deep yearning for someone of her own too powerful to ignore. They married soon after and then had Kuroo. For a while, they were happy, until one day Kuroo’s father finally stumbled upon his soulmate. Sometimes Kuroo felt bad for the woman, meeting her soulmate to find out he had already started a family. But she won in the end and eventually Kuroo’s father left them, and he hadn’t heard from him since.

It shattered his mother’s heart into pieces, not just for herself to be abandoned but Kuroo’s loss of a father. It helped at least to have loving grandparents nearby as well as the Kozume’s just a couple doors down. Whenever she had to work late they were always willing to provide him with a safe environment to spend his evenings. For Kuroo, throwing himself into school and volleyball helped him cope as well, dragging Kenma along with him.

After his mother’s talk with him, Kuroo finally felt a sense of freedom to pursue his soulmate. The whole rest of that night, he shared with her little bits and pieces of his dreams and anything he’d observed of his soulmate’s personality. She laughed at all the ways they would compete and try to beat the other any way they could. It spread a lightness to his spirit seeing her cheer up, knowing she genuinely couldn’t wait to meet him either.

The next day Kuroo and Kenma walked into the locker room to find Yamamoto grilling Kai about his soulmate. As much as Kuroo never cared for soulmate talk, it was enjoyable hearing Kai speak about his and how shy he would suddenly become. Yaku was entertaining as well, his energy suddenly spiking as if he was pumping himself for a game rather than talking about his future lover. Kuroo had a feeling it was the direct influence of his soulmate and wondered what kind of hyper person Yaku was going to end up with.

When everyone saw them enter, the chatter immediately began to quiet down. Kuroo rolled his eyes and snuck his way around the obstacle course of teammates and gym bags until he came to his own locker.

“Don’t stop on my account.”

“Are you sure?” Kai asked, cocking his head as he slipped off his tie.

“Of course, why not?”

“I thought you didn’t like your soulmate!” Yamamoto blurted out and Kuroo’s back immediately stiffened. There was a sound of a slap and a yelp of pain, and Kuroo glanced over his shoulder to see Yamamoto rubbing his head and looking at Kenma with a look of betrayal.

“Kenma, what the hell? I’d expect that of Yaku-san, but not you!”

“Kuroo doesn’t hate his soulmate, he just doesn’t want to talk about it, Dummy.”

Seeing Kenma get riled up and physically assault his teammate made Kuroo cackle with laughter, instantly lightening the heavy mood in the locker room.

“You know what, Yamamoto? You’re always so eager to hear about my soulmate, how about I tell you something?”

Yamamoto’s eyes grew large and he leaned forward eagerly where he was perched on the bench.

“Yeah! I wanna hear it!”

Behind him, Yaku shared a look with Kai, and Kenma was looking at him like he was crazy. With a dark chuckle, Kuroo turned around slowly.

“My soulmate isn’t some dainty little girl like you’re probably picturing. It’s a man, shorter than me but built like a god.” Kuroo snickered as Yamamoto’s mouth dropped open, and he decided to tease him a bit more by walking forward and sticking his foot on the bench next to him, leering down at his kouhai.

“Since you’re so curious, let me tell you about this one dream I had where he was on his knees in front of me, using his tongue in ways that made me--”

Kai’s hand slapped across his mouth as he yanked Kuroo back away from Yamamoto’s bright red face.

“Uh, why don’t you guys get the gym set up?” Kai squawked out, and the three first years looked eager to obey, particularly Kenma who didn’t want to hear about those things from his best friend.

“What’s gotten into you? You finally acknowledge your soulmate and then immediately share the most lurid dream you had with your impressionable kouhai?!” Yaku squawked as he gave him a punch on the arm. Kuroo slipped his mouth above Kai’s hand and grinned.

“That was hardly my most lurid dream.”

Both Kai and Kuroo scurried away before Yaku’s foot could connect to either of their bodies. When they finally changed and began to drift in the gym, Kai gave him a pat on the shoulder.

“I’m glad, you know, that you seem better about the whole soulmate thing. You seem happier.”

“I am, I had a talk with my mom, and basically she called me an idiot for feeling the way I was.”

“Which I’ve been saying all along,” Yaku interrupted.

“And me,” Kai pitched in with a smirk.

“And Kenma, of course.”

“Alright, I get it already! She told me that all she wants is for me to be happy with my soulmate and to have the chance she never did. I still feel like it’s unfair, but I feel better about it. The only thing I’m still worried about… I hope he won’t mind living with Mom.”

“Again, you’re an idiot.”

“I think I’m starting to hear an echo in here.”

“Seriously, this guy is your soulmate! Fate would never put you with someone who wouldn’t appreciate your mom. They’re going to adore each other. Have you even had one dream where you felt like you weren’t getting along with him?”

“Actually, all the time. But that’s mainly because I can’t help picking on him.”

“I rest my case. The only thing your soulmate is going to hate is you.”

“Hey!”

Kuroo felt a little bit better after talking things over with his friends, Kenma saying nearly identical words that Yaku had, except with his own _colorful_ twist to make Kuroo cringe. As he settled into bed that night, however, his little wriggling worries began to creep back in. It took a long time for him to get to sleep, but when he did, Fate seemed to be waiting for him there.

_Kuroo opened his eyes and immediately recognized the hallway in his future house, even through the filmy blur of the soulmate dream. He stretched toward the ceiling and let out a loud yawn that would have sounded more natural coming out of a lion and fumbled down the stairs as his sleepiness gradually wore off._

_He paused just outside the kitchen and felt his lips turn up in a wide grin at the sound of two separate voices coming from within._

_“I’m sure Tachibana will come around. Wasn’t your kouhai, Tsukishima, the same way?” His mother asked above the sound of something frying and the clink of someone filling their coffee mug._

_“Nah, Tsukishima wasn’t completely apathetic, no matter what most people thought. He refused to become passionate mainly because of something to do with his brother, but eventually, he was able to break free from that. He hated to lose more than anything. Tachibana… the only thing he seems to enjoy is the defeated look spikers have when he completely blocks them,” his soulmate answered, and Kuroo’s mother let out a laugh._

_“Well, at least he enjoys that much. You know, Tetsurou wasn’t much different. It might not be the most positive attribute, but sometimes even spite can warp into something different.”_

_“Ha, maybe you’re right. So, for now, I should encourage spite?”_

_“Of course! You gotta beat those cats somehow!”_

_Kuroo had to smother a chuckle in his palm, but the laughter from the kitchen would have drowned it out._

_“Don’t let Tetsu hear you say that. Do you have no more loyalty to Nekoma?”_

_“Meh, not anymore. He’s moved on and now you’re here coaching for Fukurodani, there’s no competition.”_

_“I always knew I was your favorite.”_

_“Shh, he’s probably listening right outside the door.”_

_At that point, Kuroo could no longer hold it in and sputtered out a cackling laugh as he slipped into the kitchen._

_“See? Told ya, my sneaky son.”_

_Kuroo lumbered over to his mom who was dressed for work and wrapped his arms around her._

_“No matter what you say, I know he’ll never take my place.”_

_“Of course not, he’ll never be such a problem child,” She teased as she lifted herself on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I’m off to work now. You boys enjoy your day off!” She said as she gave Kuroo one last wink before slipping out of the kitchen to leave._

_“Hmm, I’m looking forward to it,” Kuroo purred as his eyes trailed up his soulmate’s body, starting from the feet and lingering on the T-shirt stretching to maximum capacity across his torso. He felt like he was never going to get a good look at his face with the way his older self couldn’t keep his mind out of the gutter._

_“Hey, my eyes are up here,” His soulmate chuckled, grabbing a fistful of Kuroo’s shirt and yanking him in for a delicious morning kiss. Kuroo instinctively shut his eyes and embraced the man in front of him and let out a giggle as he was dipped back romantically. It was surprising with how much taller he was than his soulmate that the man could hold him so effortlessly._

_As they pulled back from the kiss, Kuroo opened his eyes and saw his soulmate do the same, and as always he lost himself in the warm swirls of brown._

_“Ah, my hero,” Kuroo purred. An eyebrow cocked above one of the brown eyes, and suddenly Kuroo was dropped on his ass._

_“Good morning,” His demonic soulmate chuckled as he turned back to the stove. Kuroo would have given him a wittier retort had the man not offered him such a lovely view from behind._

_“Ah, what the hell, I still love you.”_

_The other man snorted as he began filling a couple plates with eggs, and Kuroo’s eyes drifted up just in time to catch the very edge of his dimpled smile._

_“I love you, too.”_

 

**Third year- Daichi**

“I hate my soulmate,” Daichi grumbled as he walked to the shop with Suga and Asahi, the rest of their energetic team running ahead. Suga giggled and gave him a nudge with his shoulder.

“Tell me everything, and don’t leave anything out.”

“I think I hate it even more that you enjoy the way he tortures me. I don’t know, it’s like every dream I have it’s just him stirring me up or embarrassing me. It pisses me off and I want to know why my future self puts up with it!”

“Daichi, when you’re in your dream and he’s doing that stuff, can you feel what your future self is feeling?”

“Yeah, he’s irritated, although…”

“Although?”

Daichi hung his head, emitting a loud sigh as he stared down at the sidewalk.

“There’s this strange fondness I seem to have for him, even when he pulls that shit. Usually, when he laughs, as obnoxious as it is, it does weird things to my heart. I hate it.”

Asahi and Suga laughed. It was nothing new to hear Daichi complain about his soulmate and they could tell that even in his present state he was developing feelings for his devilish lover.

“Have you really not had any dreams that are nice?” Asahi asked. Daichi lifted his head and gazed at the sunset casting the sky in soothing pastel colors.

“I’ve had a couple, but they’re swamped by the annoying ones.”

It wasn’t that the sweet dreams meant nothing to him, in fact, it was the opposite. Just the other night he had a dream where he seemed much younger than the previous ones. He could have sworn he was wearing his Karasuno pants and jacket, but he refused to say for sure, so he didn’t get his hopes up that he’d meet his soulmate so soon.

_He was tired, his eyes growing heavy, but he wasn’t in bed. He was in a stairwell at a strange school, sitting on his soulmate’s lap with his arms wrapped around a long, elegant neck. Daichi’s fingers were gripped into a red jacket while a set of long arms were wrapped around him comfortably._

_They said nothing as Daichi listened to the deep breaths causing his temporary pillow to rise and fall. His heart throbbed erratically, his nerves fluttering chaotically in his stomach as he gulped and turned his gaze up. At that angle, he couldn’t see much of his soulmate’s face, just the sharpness of his jaw and a bit of his black hair that seemed rather wild. Suddenly he tilted his head down, and all Daichi could see were his eyes looking down at him. They were heavy-lidded, giving a laid-back kind of feeling but Daichi knew the intelligence hidden within them. He was drawn into those eyes, and for the first time, he could see the hazel coloring shining through despite the blurriness of the dream._

_The face drifted toward him, the eyes shutting and suddenly Daichi’s heart began to pound even faster. He closed his own eyes and lifted his lips to meet his soulmate’s, their breaths mixing as they each let out a sigh. The lips were slightly chapped but warm, keeping the kiss gentle as they experimented with the movement. The arms around him tightened to pull him in for a deeper kiss, and Daichi was eager to allow it._

_The dream continued for a bit until everything faded and Daichi woke up, feeling cold and lonely in his dark bedroom. He may complain about his soulmate, but he knew it was those tender moments that washed away the eye rolls and mild irritation. Daichi wondered, however, if it was enough._

 

Thanks to Takeda sensei, Karasuno was able to snag a practice match with Nekoma and a brand-new coach to prepare them for it. Nekoma was an old rival of Karasuno’s, dating back to when old Coach Ukai and Nekoma’s Coach Nekomata were in high school themselves. Daichi felt a quiver of excitement in his veins. They were still messy as a team, but with the recent developments, he had more hope than ever for Karasuno’s success.

He threw himself into practices and tried to focus all his attention on volleyball, but there was something gnawing at the back of his mind. The number of soulmate dreams he’d been having was diminishing at an alarming rate. It had been a couple weeks since having the last one, and Daichi was terrified of what that could mean. Was he losing his soulmate? Could that even happen? He tried researching a bit on the internet, and there had been a couple cases where someone’s soulmate was killed before meeting them, and all the survivor had were memories of things that never had a chance to occur.

It wasn’t until Suga took him aside one day and asked him about it, showing off his superhuman ability to see straight through Daichi.

“Come on, spill it. You’re not that nervous about our practice match, are you?”

“No, it’s not that… Suga, I haven’t had a dream in two weeks.”

Suga blinked at him, contemplating the words before a smile split across his face.

“Really?!”

“Yes, why are you smiling? I’m terrified! What if he died? Or maybe he chose someone else?”

“Daichi, you idiot! That means it’s getting close to the moment when you’re going to meet!”

“But, are you sure? Some people said online that their soulmate was killed.”

“Online? Ugh, why would you believe that?! If their soulmate died they probably wouldn’t have any dreams at all, it doesn’t work like that.”

“Oh… so, I’m going to meet him soon?” Daichi repeated, his heart suddenly racing out of control. “I-I think I’m going to be sick.”

“Ok, deep breaths. It’s going to be okay.”

“What if he doesn’t like me? What if I’m not good looking enough for him? I haven’t seen a full view of him yet, but he’s really hot!”

“Daichi, snap out of it,” Suga laughed, giving him a punch in the ribs that knocked all the air out of him and surprisingly he was able to retain his lunch. “He’s your soulmate and he’s going to be nuts about you. Now man up! You’re the captain and the others are picking up on your mood.”

“Ugh, you’re right. I’ll snap out of it. I can’t help but be nervous, our relationship seems fun and playful, but what else is there? Remember when you were worried all yours was going to be was sex?”

“Shh, not so loud,” Suga hissed as he glanced around. “Yes, I was, but I’ve had a few more that have offered a bit more than that. Listen, Daichi… the dreams are just little snapshots. They’re not meant to reveal too much, though sometimes people get some major hints about their own future from them. Fate shows us just enough and lets us take over from there.”

Daichi nodded as he took a deep breath. He knew it was going to be okay like Suga said. How could he not freak out knowing he was approaching the moment they were finally going to meet. He was lucky, most people didn’t meet their soulmate until college or after.

“You’re right. It’ll be fine.”

“Good, that’s more like it!” Suga cheered as he smacked his back, sending Daichi sprawling forward a couple steps.

What Daichi hadn’t prepared for that night as he went to bed was having one more dream.

_He opened his eyes to find himself standing just outside a doorway. It looked like his future house, but not many of his dreams took place in that part. Regardless of where he was, Daichi lingered without even looking in the room. It was then that he heard the noises coming from within._

_The sobs were so soft he could barely hear, but each one seemed to squeeze Daichi’s chest painfully. With the lack of things to see, Daichi concentrated on what his future self was feeling, and he was overwhelmed with the sorrow seeping into his soul. His eyes were wet and sore, burning every time he blinked. His cheeks felt stiff and damp, but none of his own melancholy could compare with his worry for the person inside the room._

_Cautiously, Daichi tipped his head so he could see inside. It was a pretty room, embroidered curtains with dainty flowers dancing across the fabric. Beside the bed was a figure kneeling, one hand gripped into the comforter as his back shook with every sob. In front of the man was the bedside table, a picture of an old woman placed upon it. When Daichi’s eyes fell upon the picture, his chest gripped painfully, and he immediately stepped away from the doorway, his breath shuddering as he hid his tearing eyes in his sleeve._

_“Hey,” A voice murmured nearby, and Daichi blinked as he looked up. A man was standing in front of him, a willowy figure dressed in a black suit with his long black hair tied back in a ponytail. Daichi couldn’t be sure of his age, he could have been in his fifties but there was something about his features that kept him youthful. Perhaps it was the bright golden eyes watching him as he lifted a slender hand toward Daichi._

_“Come here.”_

_Daichi bit his lip and lumbered closer. Though the present Daichi didn’t recognize the man, his future self seemed to trust him a great deal and easily accepted the man’s thin arms around him._

_“You shouldn’t be comforting me, Kenma. She was like another mother to you as well,” Daichi said as he dropped his forehead on the narrow shoulder below him._

_“I’ve had all the comfort I can endure, Tora’s hardly released me since it happened.”_

_Daichi choked out a laugh and the slender hands gripped his arms to pull him back._

_“You should go in there,” Kenma said, gesturing toward the room._

_“How can I offer him any comfort? I can’t even stop myself from crying.”_

_Kenma rolled his eyes._

_“Just because you’re both crying doesn’t mean you can’t comfort each other. You know she was everything to him. He needs you.”_

_Kenma didn’t need to tell him twice. He nodded and immediately turned toward the bedroom, feeling the draw to the person he loved more than anyone in the world. He knelt on the floor behind him and reached out his hand. It was then that Daichi saw how different it looked, older and more gnarled with a simple gold band around the finger._

_His hand slid across his soulmate’s back, rubbing it gently as the sobs continued though slowly the hand gripping into the comforter released. He stayed like that for a while, just letting him know he was there while his lover continued to mourn. After a few minutes, his soulmate’s sobs began to wane as he drew in some deep shuddering breaths. He lifted his head and looked at the picture of his mother as he reached behind his shoulder to grasp Daichi’s hand. His hair seemed wild from behind but was flecked with dapplings of grey._

_“Daichi?” He asked in a hoarse voice._

_“Yes, I’m here,” Daichi answered, squeezing his hand tight. A fresh sob wracked his soulmate, and he turned to wrap his arms around Daichi’s waist, embedding his head in his chest. “Shh, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”_

_“I miss her so much… I can’t believe she’s…”_

_“I know, me too.”_

_“Dai?”_

_“Yes?”_

_“Please don’t leave me.”_

_Daichi squeezed his eyes shut as fresh tears poured out. He lowered his face until soft, feather-like hair tickled his face and he kissed the top of his lover’s head._

_“I’ll have a fist fight with the devil if he tries to take me away from you.”_

_A huffed laugh puffed against his wet shirt._

_“Damn… I’d kinda like to see that.”_

 

Daichi opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He reached up and wiped away the tears that had slipped out during his dream, and though it was a window into a very distant future the pain throbbing in his chest was real. He rubbed it, wishing he could already wrap his arms around his soulmate.

He slipped out of bed and wandered to the window, looking out at the night sky decorated with glittering stars. His eyes lingered on the crescent moon that oddly reminded him of his soulmate’s smile. A part of him wished that Fate hadn’t shared that dream with him, but he knew there was a reason for it. All his previous worries seemed ridiculous now, certain that the love between him and his soulmate would be so deep that nothing would shake them. He also couldn’t wait to meet his mother, despite the pain that would ravage him upon her death. She deserved to be treasured, and Daichi hoped she would be happy to accept him into their family.

With a heavy sigh, Daichi trudged back to bed and fell into it, whipping his blanket over top of him. They had their practice match against Nekoma the next day, and he had a feeling it was going to be a grueling day. Luckily, it wasn’t difficult for him to fall back asleep, not realizing that he had dreamed the last of his soulmate visions forever.

 

**Kuroo**

“... And she’s got this hair that’s long and silky! Even with the few dreams I’ve had, I can see she’s the most beautiful person in the world,” Yamamoto said with a dramatic sigh as he leaned back in his seat next to Fukunaga.

“Yamamoto shut up,” Kuroo groaned from across the aisle, rubbing his tired eyes from their sleep deprivation. It was his third year and he’d been swamped with schoolwork while trying to train the first-year recruits. Everything would be fine if he had his soulmate dreams to comfort him at night, but they’ve been straggling thin lately, leaving him with the ache of loneliness on top of his stress. He knew the reason for it; his first meeting with his soulmate was fast approaching and therefore he shouldn’t feel sad at all. Instead, he felt nervous as hell, and the last thing he needed was Yamamoto’s brash voice raving about his cute soulmate.

He glanced next to him to make a wry comment to Kenma but blinked in surprise at the bright color spreading across his cheeks.

“Uh, you alright?”

“Fine,” He answered curtly, facing straight forward with his lips pressed tight together. He was about to prod him further when Inuoka asked Yamamoto if he’d had any dirty dreams yet, snickering like the fifteen-year-old boy he was.

“Hell, yeah, I have!”

“Did you see her boobs?”

“Oh, uh, not yet. It was always from behind,” Yamamoto murmured, his own cheeks growing bright as he scratched his head sheepishly. Kenma winced and dropped his face into his hands, and Kuroo was wondering if he was going to be sick.

“Seriously, are you okay? Cuz I can tell Nekomata and you can sit this next game out.”

“It’s not that,” Kenma said between his fingers.

“Kenma?” Kuroo asked tentatively, giving the dark roots of Kenma’s blonde hair a light ruffle. Kenma sighed and lifted his face from his hands. He shot a quick look across the aisle and leaned in toward Kuroo, his eyes giving him that serious gaze that meant whatever was about to be said meant Kuroo will have to take it to his grave.

“I’ve only had one dream,” He whispered, barely audible for even Kuroo to hear.

“Just one? Why didn’t you tell me? What do you think it means?”

“I know what it means. The soulmate dreams end just before you meet your soulmate, but if you’ve already met your soulmate you have them till you realize who they are. I only needed one.”

“Wait, so you know who it is?”

Kenma cringed and nodded his head slowly.

“Aaaaaaand?”

Slowly Kenma’s face turned, casting one more look at Yamamoto as he whispered the details of his filthy dream. Kuroo’s eyes widened as the truth dawned on him and he lurched forward in his seat with an obnoxious gasp.

“You’re kidding.”

Kenma turned his head back to glare at him.

“I wish.”

Softly the giggles began, bubbling up until Kuroo was full-out cackling in his seat with his arms gripping his stomach. His chortles echoed throughout the narrow confines of the bus, drawing the attention of the first years and Yamamoto.

“Is Kuroo-san okay?” Inuoka asked as he peered around the seat.

“He’s fine… he’s just being an ass,” Kenma grumbled, sending Kuroo a look that meant he was seconds away from death.

“Come on, I wanna know what’s so funny!” Yamamoto chimed in, leaning over the aisle and placing a hand right beside Kenma’s face against the seat to brace himself. Kenma froze, eyeing his teammate with wide eyes as Yamamoto’s face hovered just in front of his. Kuroo’s laughter had waned as he observed the two, and fresh giggles erupted at Kenma’s reaction.

“Hey, Yamamoto… do you like dicks?”

Yamamoto cocked his head in confusion, and Kenma’s face was screaming at him to stop.

“Dicks? Yeah, I mean, I got one after all.”

If Kuroo’s laughter was loud before, there was no comparison as he doubled over in his seat with tears spilling out. Kenma growled in his throat and smacked his hand against Yamamoto’s face to shove him back. He glanced around the bus to look for a different seat, but the bus was just turning into the parking lot of their destination. As soon as the bus parked, he rushed straight out before anyone else could make a move. Yamamoto scratched his head in confusion, but Kuroo gripped his shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze.

“Don’t worry about him, Buddy,” Kuroo said, his voice bouncing with giggles as he tried to contain himself. “You know, I’m really happy for you, having such a _lovely_ soulmate.”

“Thanks! That means a lot coming from you!”

Yamamoto strutted off the bus with a grin on his face, only to have it falter slightly when he saw Kenma deep in conversation with a strange boy. Kuroo watched as he stomped off to investigate. He knew he should stop him, but with his knowledge of their future, he was eager to see any kind of development between him and Kenma.

“What’s with you now?” Yaku said next to him, clearly not in the mood for any more shenanigans.

“I can’t tell you right now, but when you find out… oh man, you’re gonna love it,” Kuroo said with a wink and sauntered over to the gym. He walked past most of his teammates and peeked inside, grinning as he heard Yaku scold Yamamoto for his stupid behavior. His eyes careened around the space and suddenly fell on a figure walking toward him.

Kuroo had no idea how he knew that the person was the captain of Karasuno, it was just a gut feeling. Perhaps it was the confident smile sitting on his lips, or the frown he sent out the door at his kouhai’s noisy antics. Regardless, Kuroo and Karasuno’s captain drifted toward each other naturally, their eyes picking the other apart with interest.

Slowly Kuroo pasted on the politest smile he could muster and held out his hand.

“We’re looking forward to our match today!”

The warm hand of the other captain clasped his, giving it an impressive squeeze.

“We’re looking forward to it as well!”

He felt it immediately, the prickle up his spine, the thrill of something new and challenging.

Sawamura Daichi was his name, apparently, and at first glance, he wouldn’t seem to be anything special. Kuroo knew better.

_This guy’s the crafty type._

But Kuroo wasn’t playing against the captain alone; it was his team versus Sawamura’s team, and throughout the first few plays he focused entirely on all the members of the wild Karasuno. In was brief moments in between serves and sets that his eyes kept drifting back to Sawamura. There was something oddly familiar about him like he was having a constant flash of Deja Vous.

“What do you think?” Yaku whispered beside him as they drank some water after their first won game. “Do you think they have a chance at Nationals?”

Kuroo shrugged and wiped his face on his sleeve.

“About as much chance as we do. They have some powerful players and the more they practice and get on the same page, the better they’ll become. At least they have Sawamura.”

“Huh? The Captain?”

“Yeah, he’s got a cool head and can handle all those monsters. Plus, his receives are impressive for being a wing spiker.”

“Yeah, he’s good, nothing compared to their Libero though,” Yaku said as his voice grew quieter, his eyes sparkling as they drifted across the court at the energetic crow leaping on his friend’s shoulders. Kuroo observed Yaku with interest for a moment before turning his attention back at the captain with his back toward him.

Why was he so familiar? Why did he want to reach out and slip his arm around his neck… whisper something lurid in his ear and--?

Kuroo’s mouth dropped open as he gasped, feeling the curtain lift from his eyes as he picked apart every detail of Sawamura. He had broad shoulders, his hair was the same as well. Were his eyes brown? He definitely didn’t have a scar on his cheek, though.

He shook his head and took inventory of his teammates. They had more games to play and Kuroo needed to focus. Even if he was distracted, his teammates were still there, hungry to annihilate the competition. Finally, after six straight games, their limbs shook as they collapsed on the court floor, exhausted from their final game.

“One more?” The Chibi from Karasuno squeaked out. Kuroo was relieved the Coaches gave him a flat-out no; they needed to rest.

“Gather up!” Kuroo said and flinched that he said it in unison with Sawamura. It was difficult to tell if Sawamura’s voice was the same as his soulmate’s since the only thing Kuroo heard him speak was a call for the ball or a stern command to a teammate. He drew his attention back to Ukai Keishin, Karasuno’s current coach and listened to his words of advice.

With the gym all cleaned up and their gym bags all packed, Kuroo drifted outside with Kenma lingering beside him. His friend seemed to have forgiven him for laughing so hard on the bus. That or he was too tired at that point to care. He opened his phone and started typing up a text to his mom when Kenma sighed.

“What are they doing?”

Kuroo’s eyes flickered from his screen to Yamamoto and Karasuno’s Yamamoto duplicate crying and shaking hands.

“No clue. Just don’t look at them.”

Karasuno’s number ten called out to Kenma, leaving him alone to finish up his text. He snapped his phone shut and glanced up, sucking in a breath at the sight of Sawamura. Immediately his lips curled into a smile that was trying to be polite but ended up closer to a sneer. Sawamura’s own smile widened dangerously.

“We won’t lose next time!” He warned Kuroo as he crunched the bones in his hand for a _friendly_ captain handshake.

“We won’t lose next time either!” Kuroo taunted back, trying to compete with the strength of Sawamura’s hand. The handshake lasted absurdly long, both refusing to give in as maniacal chuckles rumbled from their chests.

Suddenly, Kuroo relaxed his grip and blinked at his adversary. He realized Sawamura had swept him away with his competitive nature, completely forgetting that the man in front of him could possibly be his soulmate. Sawamura sensed the change in his demeanor and gazed up at him, a more honest smile sitting on his lips as he cocked his head inquisitively. Kuroo retained his light grip on the other captain’s hand as he looked him over closely, taking in every detail.

“Kuroo-san? Is something the matter?”

“No, I just… I’m afraid to tell you until I’m certain.”

Kuroo turned his gaze back to Sawamura, leaning further down to drown himself in those warm brown eyes.

_Ah… there they are._

A sense of comfort washed over him like a gentle wave crawling onto the shore. His lips curled up in a smirk as he continued soaking in every detail. It was then he noticed something flicker across Sawamura’s face. His eyebrows knitted together as he peered closely at Kuroo’s face, a blush crawling slowly across his cheeks.

“No way,” He whispered, and Kuroo’s grin stretched to reveal his teeth as he chuckled darkly. “Oh my god, you’re definitely him.”

“Who would that be, Sawamura?” Kuroo purred, giving his hand a yank to pull him in closer. Despite his previous harsh feelings on soulmates, he had always pictured what would happen when they finally met. He thought maybe it would be a dramatic kiss or they’d throw their arms around him happily. Sawamura, however, cringed and shook his head.

“You’re going to be such a pain in my ass.”

Kuroo lifted his eyebrows in surprise before throwing his head back to release an obnoxious cackle. He ignored the strange looks from his teammates as he wiped a few stray tears and focused back on Sawamura. His look of disapproval had completely disappeared, in its place a smile so deep his dimples emerged, and his cheeks were dappled with a lovely rosy color.

“We should, uh, exchange numbers then, I guess,” Sawamura stammered, running his free hand through his hair.

“Definitely! I hate it that we live so far from each other.”

“Yeah, but I feel like we’ll see each other a few more times this year at least.”

“Seriously?”

“I had one dream where we were in a school, still wearing our team clothes.”

“And it wasn’t this moment?”

“No, it was night and… well, you’ll find out,” Daichi muttered as he pounded his number into Kuroo’s phone, his cheeks brightening even more.

“Oh, ho! I look forward to it, among other things.”

“Me, too.”

They both handed back each other’s phones, their eyes meeting in an equal exchange of excitement and intrigue. Sawamura’s eyes broke contact first as he glanced to the side, Kuroo following his gaze to see Kenma standing there observing them closely.

“This is him?”

“My Soulmate? Yeah, this is him,” Kuroo said, his lips tingling as he officially labeled Sawamura as his own.

“Good, he looks like he could kick your ass if you need it.”

Sawamura laughed, and Kuroo felt conflicted being both offended by his best friend’s comment and charmed by the hearty laugh coming from his soulmate and the way his eyes crinkled with his mirth.

“You must be Kenma,” Sawamura said as his eyes looked him over and Kenma flinched back at the recognition.

“How do you know my name?”

“I recognized you from one of my dreams.”

Kuroo’s eyes widened, dying to know what kind of vision showed Sawamura his best friend. It was a comfort, knowing that his best friend would be by his side for a long time. Someone else heard, however, what Sawamura had said about seeing Kenma in his dream.

“What did you just say?” Yamamoto’s voice cut in, his face screwed up like a delinquent as he charged over and wrapped an arm protectively around Kenma’s shoulders. “You want me to believe you’re Kenma’s soulmate?! Psht, there’s no way!”

“Shut up, Yamamoto! He’s my soulmate, not Kenma’s, and you disrespect him again I’m gonna beat your ass,” Kuroo growled, and Yamamoto blinked up at him in confusion, still refusing to let go of Kenma.

“But he said he saw Kenma in his dream.”

“I did, but that was just once,” Sawamura explained calmly, “Usually, it’s just me and Kuroo, and isn’t Kenma your best friend?” He asked as he glanced up at Kuroo.

“Yeah, since we were little kids. Our families have always been close.”

“Tora, get off me,” Kenma grumbled, trying to shove Yamamoto off.

“Tora?” Sawamura said with surprise, his eyes immediately picking Yamamoto apart with interest.

“Yamamoto Taketora is my name. Kenma’s the only one who calls me Tora.”

“I know, but why would you think he’s my soulmate when you--”

“Hey, hey, hey! You two need to get on the bus, I think we’re leaving soon,” Kuroo blurted out, wrapping his arm around Sawamura’s shoulders and yanking him away. He glanced over his shoulder and met Kenma’s gaze, his friend’s face pale as he stared after them in shock.

“Did I say something wrong?” Sawamura whispered when they were some ways away from the other two.

“Nah, it’s just Yamamoto doesn’t know they’re soulmates yet. He still thinks his soulmate is a pretty girl,” Kuroo snorted.

“Ah, I could see how he’d make that mistake. His hair was black and grown out in my dream, but he was much older.”

“Did you see Yamamoto as well?”

“No, I was talking to Kenma…” Sawamura’s voice drifted off, seeming a bit hesitant like he was choosing his next words carefully. “Anyways, it wasn’t much. He just mentioned that Tora was giving him too much love lately, or something like that. It’s hard to remember.”

“Ha! Well, that sounds about right,” Kuroo snickered and Sawamura’s eyes drew back up to him. Kuroo gulped from the intensity of his gaze, the unfettered fondness pouring from his expression. Kuroo had never been the subject of such a heated look, and it was slightly overwhelming. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to hide or bask in it for hours. Sawamura’s hand drifted up and gripped his jacket, pulling Kuroo slightly lower toward Sawamura’s handsome face. Kuroo wanted to kiss him, this man he had just met a few hours ago. He wanted to smother him with kisses, and if the look on Sawamura’s face was any indication he wanted the same exact thing. Their faces were so close he could feel Sawamura’s warm breath tickle his skin.

“Come on, Kuroo! We’re waiting!” Naoi Manabu yelled from the open door of the bus, causing them both to flinch. Kuroo sighed heavily as he nodded his head over his shoulder to his assistant coach and turned back to Sawamura, who looked a little bashful though he was still gripping Kuroo’s jacket.

“I gotta go.”

Sawamura nodded slowly and the disappointment in his puppy dog eyes squeezed Kuroo’s heart to death.

“Yeah, will you text me?”

“Of course, I will,” Kuroo said with a warm smile down at his soulmate and clasped his hand over Sawamura’s. He pulled it from his jacket and brought it up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss in Sawamura’s palm. “Until next time, Sawamura,” He purred and chuckled at the stunned expression on his soulmate.

They still hadn’t moved until another member of Karasuno’s team, their backup setter Kuroo believed, snuck over and gripped Sawamura’s arms, tugging him away with a sinister chuckle.

“So, you’re Daichi’s soulmate! Pleased to meet you, I’m a big fan. But for now, they’re waiting for you.”

Kuroo cleared his throat and took a step back toward the bus, forcing his limbs as if fighting a strong current. He whispered a soft bye to Sawamura, who echoed the sentiment and gave him a shy wave.

 _Oh my god, he’s so cute_ , Kuroo thought, pursing his lips to prevent a giggle from escaping. He was finally able to tear himself away and be shoved up the bus steps by Naoi only to find his spot next to Kenma taken. This time he did nothing to stop the maniacal laughter bubbling up at seeing his best friend’s tortured face as Yamamoto leaned into his space, talking his ear off about his replica at Karasuno and what a good guy he was, and also the overwhelming beauty of Karasuno’s manager.

Kuroo ignored Kenma’s silent pleas to force Yamamoto from the seat and instead slipped into the empty spot beside Yaku. He released a tired groan as he leaned his head back, casting one last glance out the window over Yaku’s head and smiled at his soulmate walking away with his hand raised. The smile lingered on his lips as he replayed the events of the day, the fun they had playing Karasuno and finally meeting the man of his dreams. There was so much potential in the future, and Kuroo was ecstatic to meet it head-on.

His eyes began to grow heavy over the next few minutes as the bus jostled over the streets, listening to the lingering chatter from his teammates and a few snores from the more exhausted ones. He frowned and looked next to him, noticing for the first time that Yaku seemed eerily silent.

“Yakkun? You alright?”

Yaku peeled his head from the window, slowly turning until he faced forward with his head back against the seat. He blinked, not speaking for a moment as the wheels were obviously churning non-stop in his head.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

“Are you upset by something? You played a kick-ass game back there, you know. Several in fact, hardly missing anything.”

Yaku sighed and shook his head, but Kuroo was relieved when a soft smile curled on his lips.

“It’s not anything like that. I just… I feel like I missed something. Something huge, and I have a feeling what it was, but I’m terrified to say it out loud.”

“Ok, well, _supposedly_ , what do you _hypothetically_ think it could have been? You know, just as a little meager possibility.”

“You’re such an idiot, you’re making it worse,” Yaku laughed, giving him a light punch on the arm. “There was something about their Libero, Nishinoya Yuu.”

Even as Yaku spoke the name, it came out as a whisper, almost like it was a mystical incantation that thrilled Yaku to the bone.

“Yeah, that guy was pretty good.”

“ _Really_ good, and his passion and drive to improve is astounding… exciting. His energy is infectious. I can’t wait until we see him again--them! See them again,” Yaku stammered, hunching his shoulders as he faced away from Kuroo before he could see his expression. Kuroo narrowed his eyes at his back and when his gaze fell upon the redness on the top of his ears, his grin slid up his face.

“He sounds a lot like your soulmate,” Kuroo said nonchalantly and immediately Yaku sent a glare over his shoulder at him.

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, he’s energetic, right? And positive and playful? Plus, you were obviously affected by him.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s him.”

“Do you want it to be him?”

“... Yes,” Yaku whispered, his face strained as he faced back forward to stare ahead once again. “I want it to be him, but if he’s not, wouldn’t that be cheating on my soulmate?”

“Yaku, how many dreams have you had lately?”

“I don’t know, I had one the other day. I guess they’ve been getting fewer lately.”

“So have mine, and my own soulmate was back there in case you missed that part.”

“That was him?” Yaku asked, his eyes bright with curiosity as they flickered back to Kuroo. “What do you think?”

“I think he’s great,” Kuroo admitted quietly, feeling his own face grow warm as his mind drifted back to Karasuno’s steady captain. “In my dreams, he’s often grumpy or mad at me, but it’s really my own fault because I can feel how amused my future self is in those moments. But there have been sweet moments as well, one even with my mom… seeing him in person, he was so cute I just can’t wait to tease him and get to know him better.”

Yaku laughed as he rolled his eyes.

“Of course, you’d feel teasing him was more important than getting to know him better.”

“They go hand in hand. The point is, we both realized it through interacting with each other, seeing the little clues. Hopefully, we’ll see them again soon and you can interact with their cute little Libero some more.”

“Yeah, I hope so.”

“And Yakkun, a big hint might be if your dreams completely stop after this. Let me know if you have another one, okay?”

Yaku nodded, his eyes already far away as he contemplated that fact. They fell into silence and Kuroo eventually drifted off, leaving Yaku to muse to himself with more hope than he had before.

 

**Daichi-**

No matter how hard he tried, Daichi was unable to get any sleep on the bus. They had left absurdly early that morning to get to Tokyo in time for training camp, and he needed as much rest as he could get to prepare for the grueling games to come. But he couldn’t shake off the nerves and eagerness to see Kuroo in person again and sleep refused to take over.

Since their last meeting, they had texted back and forth constantly with some phone calls peppered throughout. Neither team was able to make it to Nationals, much to their disappointment, but the promise of meeting for training afterward renewed their spirit for Springhigh. The dream of having the Battle of the Dumpster was no longer just an ancient legend started by their old coaches. That history was now their present and Kuroo and Daichi were determined to make it happen; to face each other through the net in an official game. The very thought sent chills down Daichi’s spine.

“Daichi, stooooop,” Suga groaned as he stretched next to him.

“Stop what?”

“Tapping your stupid foot, I swear you’re as bad as Hinata right now and he’s not even here.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just excited.”

His friend smiled sleepily at him and nodded.

“I know but try and rest at least a little bit. After all, I’m sure Kuroo will try to sneak you away to be alone sometime tonight, and you don’t want to fall asleep on him.”

“Ugh, now I’m definitely not going to sleep,” Daichi whined as he dropped his head in his hands. Suga gave him a half-hearted pat on the back.

“There, there, Poor Guy who knows who his soulmate is already and gets to send him flirty texts and the promise of a spicy make-out session. Must be so hard.”

Daichi winced and glanced back at his friend’s unimpressed face.

“Sorry, you’re right, I should be relieved and I am. Haven’t you had any clues about when you’ll meet yours?”

“I don’t know, he doesn’t seem to change much. He always looks like an adult man to me, though in some visions his muscles are bigger than others, or he has more bruises on his body.”

“Bruises or hickeys?”

“Bruises, unlike some people I can tell the difference,” Suga laughed quietly, giving him a playful shove.

“And he’s naked most of the time so you can’t tell from his clothes.”

Suga giggled and Daichi rolled his eyes at his friend’s lack of shame.

“There was one time he was wearing clothes… I took care of them pretty quick.”

“You’re a maniac.”

“But he loves me, or he will once I meet him.”

“Of course, he will. Don’t worry, Suga. I’m sure you’ll meet him soon.”

“Yeah… I hope so.”

Unfortunately, once they arrived at the school, Tanaka and Nishinoya ran off first before Daichi could and they gasped with wonder.

“That’s… could it be… Tokyo Skytree?!” Tanaka yelled much louder than was appropriate for that time of the morning. Daichi growled in his throat as he stumbled down the bus steps to scold them and was greeted with the familiar braying laugh of his soulmate. The mixed swirl of irritation and warmth filled his chest, and he couldn’t help but laugh that his confusing feelings toward Kuroo were already beginning. All the irritation faded away when Daichi saw Kuroo’s face light up when he spotted him and immediately they drifted toward one another.

“Hey,” Kuroo said softly, his eyes shining as they peeked through his unruly bedhead. Daichi grinned and lifted his hand to flick a bit of the offending hair aside to get a better view.

“Hey.”

“I, er, uh, how are you?” Kuroo stammered, bit flustered from Daichi touching his hair. It was adorable, and Daichi wanted to run his hand through all of it. Instead, he took a deep breath and fiddled with the strap of his bag instead. _Patience_.

“I’m good, just a bit tired from the trip. How are you?”

“Good! I’m excited to face off with you guys again. Hey, by the way, aren’t you missing some people?”

Daichi groaned and filled him in on the story as they wandered toward the gym where the other teams were already assembled and warming up. Ahead Daichi noticed Nishinoya rushing past Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, anxious to greet his hero Yaku Morisuke and talk his ear off most likely.

“Huh, so that superhuman combo is taking supplementary lessons right about now?” Kuroo chuckled.

“Yeah, but, well--”

An inhuman shout of surprise interrupted them, and they turned to see who would make such an obnoxious noise. Yamamoto dropped to his knees as he stared at Kiyoko and their first-year manager, Yachi Hitoka, and shouted to the heavens.

“The girls have multiplied! Now there’s a pretty one and a cute one!”

Tanaka cheerfully stepped in front of him, taunting his friend and rival with Karasuno’s good luck. Daichi rolled his eyes as Kuroo snickered, both turning back toward the gym to leave the weirdos to themselves. Daichi had faith Kiyoko would protect Yachi better than anyone else.

“He still hasn’t figured it out, has he?” Daichi asked and Kuroo shook his head.

“Nah, he’s an idiot outside of volleyball.”

“Boy does that sound familiar. How’s Kenma handling that?”

“He’d be doing better if I wasn’t trying to instigate stuff between them,” Kuroo chuckled maniacally.

“Kuroo, leave him alone. Kenma’s smart, he’ll figure it out.”

“He’s smart but stubborn. He refuses to do anything until Yamamoto figures it out on his own. By the time he does, they’ll probably be in their eighties.”

“Trust me, they’ll figure it out before then.”

“How old was he in your dream?”’

Daichi frowned, thinking back. He was angry at himself for ever mentioning that particular dream. He never wanted Kuroo to find out the details since it takes place just after his mother’s death. Daichi was relieved that it at least seemed far into their future, showing that Kuroo’s mother lived a very long, full life with them both by her side. But no son wanted to speak of their mother’s death, no matter how far away it was or inevitable.

“It’s hard to say, Kenma even in the future defies aging. I saw my hands, though, and they seemed older, and you had graying hair.”

“Eh? Really?! How did it look?”

Daichi smiled and glanced up at his wild locks.

“Actually, really good. Like a silver fox.”

Kuroo’s grin stretched wide and leaned against him, his fingers gently slipping between Daichi’s.

“Oh ho? Silver fox… I like the sound of that.”

“You would.”

Kuroo finally led them into the gymnasium and walked him through the process of the games and the schedule for the next couple of days. Daichi listened intently as he gazed throughout the immense space as the other teams were warming up. Despite not sleeping on the bus he was raring to throw himself into it, soaking up the energy of the room.

“Quite a full day! I’m looking forward to it,” Daichi responded.

“That’s the spirit, Captain Crow!” Kuroo cheered as his hand gave him a firm pat on the back.

“Captain Crow? Is that any kind of name to call your soulmate?”

Kuroo leered down at him and Daichi realized his mistake at even acknowledging it.

“You make the cutest faces when you’re grumpy, you know that right?”

“Ugh. Let’s just get on with it,” Daichi said as he started to walk toward his teammates, but Kuroo’s hand grasped his arm and stopped him in his tracks. “What is it?”

Kuroo pursed his lips, oddly nervous as he scratched the back of his head.

“Um, after we’re done with everything… I know you’ll be exhausted, especially from your trip, but would you maybe want to talk for a bit?”

Daichi felt his whole body grow warm as his blood began to pump faster.

“Yeah! I may be tired, but I really want to spend time with you.”

Kuroo’s smile stretched high across his face, making him look much younger than he was. It wasn’t fair that technically this was only their second time meeting. Daichi wanted to kiss him like mad, knowing how those lips felt against his and how tantalizing Kuroo’s large hands were when they swept over his body.

Daichi coughed and turned away to hide his bright face, hoping Kuroo didn’t pick up on his thoughts since the rotten captain of Nekoma seemed to be psychic.

“Yeah, so later,” He muttered, and he felt Kuroo give his arm a squeeze before releasing him.

“Yup… later,” Kuroo purred, and Daichi rushed away before Kuroo could subconsciously seduce him any more.

Since volleyball consumed Daichi’s life, he was able to refocus and throw himself in their practice matches. Nothing could save them, however, from complete annihilation with the absence of Hinata and Kageyama. They were already into their afternoon games when the doors to the gym slammed open and the duo made their appearance. Daichi heard the curious chatter sweep across the gym, and he hated to admit he felt relieved they had finally made it.

By the end of the day, he was completely worn out. All the interaction he was able to have with Kuroo was confined between the little square holes of the net separating them during their matches. Kuroo seemed to make the most of it, smacking down most of his spikes with childish glee and taunting him as Karasuno fulfilled another penalty run of flying falls. Even Suga was getting tired of it, and he had waited forever to watch Kuroo annoy the shit out of Daichi.

Typically, when faced with an irritating opponent, Daichi could remain calm and fight back with everything he had. Kuroo was an entirely different animal, and he felt that even if he wasn’t his soulmate he would still find him difficult to ignore. That night it took everything he had to not hide in Karasuno’s assigned classroom at the end of the day and throw his covers over his head, but he had made a promise to Kuroo.

 _At least I got a shower_ , Daichi thought, tugging on his Karasuno jacket and lumbering down the hall with a loud yawn. He stopped when he saw Kuroo lingering at the end, playing with his phone and ignoring the meandering students dragging themselves to bed. Daichi watched him for a moment, wondering how he was supposed to have a nice talk with him when he was so irritated. He tried reaching further back in his mind to the past several months when he was craving to be by Kuroo’s side and let that desire fill him, but it didn’t make it very far.

“Hey!” Kuroo’s voice called, and Daichi glanced up to see his face lit up with a genuine smile.

 _So, that’s how he gets away with everything_ , Daichi thought as he smiled back and made his way down the hall.

“I was worried you weren’t going to show,” Kuroo said as he slipped his phone back in his pocket.

“Well, I considered pretending you didn’t exist just for my own sanity,” Daichi said, wandering past him without pausing. Immediately a set of long arms wrapped around him with a hot breath tickling his ear.

“Nooooo, Sawamura! Don’t leave me already,” Kuroo whined, though he began chuckling as he spoke. “Please forgive me, I’ll ease up on you.”

“Can you not tease me for two seconds?” Daichi grumbled, pulling Kuroo forward toward the stairwell as he tried to escape.

“I promise, I promise, please let me love you.”

“You can’t even say that without laughing,” Daichi huffed, though he was trying hard not to laugh himself. He reached out his hands and grappled for the door, swinging it open. He ducked below Kuroo’s arms and lunged through the opening, trying to shut the door before Kuroo could follow. He underestimated Kuroo’s quick reflexes, however, and he had slipped half his body through the door before he could slam it shut.

“Come on, let me in,” He wheezed, but Daichi shook his head while he tried to shove him out.

“No.”

“Please, I just want to--ow, ow, ow!”

“What happened, did I hurt you?!” Daichi cried, allowing Kuroo entrance while his eyes swept over him. Kuroo pursed his lips tight, but Daichi could see the smirk trying to pry its way through. “Dammit, you tricked me!”

“I’m sorry!” Kuroo said quickly and before Daichi could run away again he wrapped him up in a hug. “Listen, I’ll seriously stop. Please, I just want to spend some time with you.”

“Hmph,” Daichi answered, making his body stiff as possible while he glared up at his stupidly tall soulmate. Then Kuroo began rubbing his back. Slowly at first and making circles all the way up until his hands rested on Daichi’s shoulders and then went to work on rubbing all the tension out of them. Daichi couldn’t restrain the appreciative groan that rumbled from his chest and allowed his head to rest against Kuroo’s chest.

“I know I teased you a lot about the penalties, but I thought you guys did well today despite it. It was fun watching the other teams’ faces when that crazy duo of yours pulled off their quicks.”

“Hmm, I always enjoy that part,” Daichi said as he finally smiled. “It’s a good learning experience for us, going up against so many amazing teams.”

“Yup, and even when you go back home you’ll be back in no time for the next training camp. We’ll have to come up with some fun strategies for sneaking around,” Kuroo’s sly voice curled in his ear, sending a shiver down his spine. He didn’t answer as an old nagging feeling crept back into his gut. Kuroo was even more handsome than his dreams had allowed him to see. Despite his rotten personality, most people seemed to like him, and he held the respect of the best volleyball teams in Tokyo. The captain of Fukurodani, in particular, seemed to have a friendly rivalry with Kuroo and maybe even some history Daichi wasn’t even aware of yet. It wasn’t that he was jealous, but it was startling how self-conscious he’d been of it ever since his first dream of Kuroo a couple years before.

“Hey, are you okay?” Kuroo asked, his voice deep and full of concern. Daichi lifted his face and saw that Kuroo’s worry was genuine as his hands slipped up from Daichi’s shoulders to cradle his neck.

“Yeah, I’m just thinking about stupid stuff.”

“Wanna share it? After all, that’s what we’re in here for, right? To talk?”

“I guess. I couldn’t help but wonder… If I wasn’t your soulmate, would you even give me the time of day?”

Kuroo blinked in surprise, cocking his head as he considered the question.

“Are you asking if I’d still be interested in you? Honestly, it’s hard for me to imagine me not being interested in you. Before I even realized you were my soulmate, you were fascinating to me.”

“Fascinating? Ha, never heard anyone describe me like that before.”

“How do people normally describe you?”

“Um, reliable, honest, a good leader, maybe even scary depending on who you ask,” Daichi chuckled, thinking of a few members of his own team.

“All true, from what I’ve seen. But I could see past that in a heartbeat. You’re clever and strategic and don’t ever knock the importance of being a good leader, that’s not easy.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“And then there’s your devastating good looks.”

“Don’t even tease me right now,” Daichi chuckled as he tried wriggling away.

“I’m not! You’re handsome, and you’ve got a banging body that I can’t wait to…” He finished his sentence with a teasing chuckle, and Daichi lightly punched his stomach as his face began burning. “Also, your eyes are probably one of the most comforting things I’ve ever experienced.”

There was something raw in Kuroo’s voice that made Daichi pause. He gazed up into his face to find his eyes drawn away, his eyebrows creased, and his lips pressed in a straight line.

“Kuroo? Are you alright?” He asked, placing his hands over Kuroo’s where they remained against his neck.

“Yeah, I just-- listen, there’s something I want to tell you. I don’t talk about it often, but I didn’t want you to hear any weird stuff from my team or any of the others. I used to be pretty close-minded with the whole idea of soulmates.”

Daichi couldn’t mask his surprise at the statement. From the moment he met Kuroo, he would have never thought he wasn’t open to having a soulmate. He said nothing, though, seeing how difficult it was for Kuroo to continue.

“My mom never had any soulmate dreams. I don’t know if she had one and they died before she turned sixteen, or she just wasn’t meant to be with anyone. It was something that upset her when she was young, but as she grew up she decided that she’d be just fine on her own or maybe she’d get lucky and meet someone else without one that she actually liked. Mom’s always been that way, pushing through the hard stuff like it’s nothing. But then she met my father…”

Kuroo closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to quell the anger that seemed to be rising in him. It was alarming, seeing such a cold, hardness to someone as loveable as Kuroo. Daichi massaged the backs of his hands with his thumbs, and Kuroo’s face relaxed. He opened his eyes, glittering dark in the dim light of the stairwell and captivating all Daichi’s attention.

“My father had a soulmate, but he never liked the idea of fate telling him how to live his life, so he ignored his dreams. He met my mom in college and fell in love with her. He admired her drive and spirit, but she shrugged him off saying it was impossible because he was fated already. Eventually, he convinced her, dated, got married, and had me. We were happy for a time; my parents simply avoided the subject of soulmates around me.

Then everything changed when he met his soulmate when I was seven. The poor girl was devastated to find my father already had a family. It wasn’t long before my father left us for her… I didn’t understand it back then, but even if her presence tore apart our family I don’t blame her. I blame _him_ for everything, ignoring his soulmate and marrying my mom, then leaving us in the end. It would have been better if he’d never met my mom.”

“But--” Daichi began, squeezing his hands to grab his attention, “Then I wouldn’t have you.”

Kuroo’s mouth dropped open, stunned speechless. Daichi beamed up at him, taking the chance to slip his hand up into Kuroo’s hair and reveal all his face. A shy smile slipped up Kuroo’s lips and he eased his face into Daichi’s hand.

“You can imagine why I had a chip on my shoulder about soulmates. I refused to talk about them to anyone, even Kenma though he was one of the only ones who knew why. The first year of high school I ended up telling Kai and Yaku as well, just after I had my first dream. I felt guilty that I had a soulmate and my mother didn’t. But if I refused you, I’d be no better than my father. I feel like the only peace I had with it was when I dreamt. Every moment I saw of the future with you, I could feel the lightness in my spirit. It took a while to piece together what you looked like, but the visions always showed me your eyes for some reason. I don’t know why but they always seemed to make everything I was worried about fade away.”

“Hmm, you can look all you like now,” Daichi said as a yawn took over his words.

“You look dead on your feet,” Kuroo said, reaching his arms around to support his back.

“I am really tired.”

“Shit, I’m sorry. I wanted to spend some nice time with you and all I did was talk about my stupid past.”

“Kuroo, this is our chance to really get to know each other and say things we don’t want to over the phone. I’m glad you told me. Besides, I’m exhausted, but I don’t really feel like leaving you yet.”

“Yeah, me neither. Come here,” Kuroo whispered and pulled him over to the wall. He sat down with his back up against it, stretching out his legs and opening his arms.

“What?”

“Come on, we can snuggle this way!”

Daichi frowned down at the impish grin on Kuroo’s face. It would be embarrassing to sit on his lap, but his arms looked warm and inviting. He pursed his lips and cautiously made his way into Kuroo’s embrace. Immediately he sighed from the warmth, but his heart was pounding so hard it felt like he was going to die. He gripped his hands into Kuroo’s Nekoma jacket and rested his head against his chest, breathing in the mixed scent of Kuroo’s soap and a hint of lavender from the laundry.

For a few minutes, they sat in the silent stairwell, not saying anything but listening to each other breathe. The rise and fall of Kuroo’s chest almost lulled him to sleep, but the drumming of Kuroo’s own heart pounding against his ear was enough to keep him conscious. Daichi never thought he needed comfort or support, typically people looked to him for that. But with Kuroo’s arms holding him tight and secure he felt no desire to be anywhere else.

He glanced up, taking the opportunity to look over Kuroo’s face from that angle. His face was tipped up, unfortunately, but he could see the sharp line of his jaw and a bit of his unruly hair splayed out against the wall. Kuroo sensed his gaze and looked down at him. The stairwell lighting was meager, but it was enough to cast a sheen across Kuroo’s handsome face and give him a full view of his captivating hazel eyes.

Daichi smiled, and Kuroo reciprocated as he leaned down. Daichi reached his face up and felt the gentle brush of Kuroo’s lips against his. Their lips were a little chapped, but it was warm and perfect as they began to move together. They chuckled as they awkwardly experimented, knowing eventually kissing each other would be as natural as breathing.

The embrace around Daichi tightened, pulling him in for a deeper kiss. He shut his eyes and inhaled deeply, opening his mouth to give Kuroo any permission he needed. A hum vibrated through their lips and a gentle tongue followed close behind it. Daichi was no longer satisfied with the tight grip he had on Kuroo’s jacket and released it to reach his hand into that iconic bedhead he secretly loved. The black hair was like silk against Daichi’s fingers, and he gently stroked all the way through it as Kuroo grazed his teeth over his bottom lip playfully.

There was a _ping_ from Daichi’s pocket, and he winced at the rude interruption.

“Was that a text?”

“Yeah, just ignore it.”

Kuroo chuckled, all too happy to continue kissing him for a couple minutes until there was another _ping_.

“Hmm, someone’s pushy.”

“Which means it’s Suga,” Daichi said dryly as he slipped his phone from his pocket.

**_Suga:_ ** _You’ll have the rest of your life with your soulmate, right now you need sleep_

**_Suga:_ ** _Don’t you dare ignore me!!_

Kuroo snickered at the second text.

“He reminds me a lot of Yaku… creepy. Well, sounds like I need to get Cinderella back to his cozy futon before he turns into a pumpkin.”

“I think you’re getting that a bit wrong,” Daichi chuckled and turned the screen off to glance up at Kuroo before sliding off his lap. Daichi’s fingers had roughed Kuroo’s hair into a complete disaster, and yet he still pulled it off well. His eyes soaked in the vision of Kuroo in the low light of the stairwell, his grin wide as his eyes seemed to sparkle. Daichi knew he was going to drive him nuts in the future, but he didn’t mind at all with the way he made Daichi’s heart feel so full of love.

Suddenly, Daichi gasped, sitting straight up and looking around the space and back at Kuroo.

“What is it?” Kuroo asked, alarmed by his change in demeanor.

“I remember this…”

“Huh? How can you--”

“My dream. I had a vision once laying my head against your chest in a stairwell and then us kissing. It was the first hint I had of how young we were going to meet since I was in my Karasuno jacket.”

“No shit,” Kuroo breathed. “Wow.”

“Yeah, you know what this means? This is the start of everything: our life together, the memories we already have from the dreams, all of it.”

Daichi’s hands gripped Kuroo’s jacket as he spoke, overwhelmed by the fact hitting him all at once. Kuroo beamed at him as he stroked a finger down his cheek, something Daichi noticed he liked to do occasionally. The hand resting on his back pulled him in so Kuroo could nuzzle into Daichi’s hair and press gentle kisses all over his face until they paused just above his lips.

“Yup, we’re finally here, but I can’t wait till I snatch you away from Miyagi and keep you all to myself.”

“Well, for yourself and your mom, right?”

Kuroo sucked in a quick breath in surprise but after a heartbeat his smile stretched wider than he’d ever seen it, causing Daichi’s heart to stutter from its beauty.

“Yeah, I’ll let her have you a little. But most of my dreams were quite… private,” Kuroo purred as he flicked his tongue across Daichi’s lips.

“Stop that! My heart can’t handle that yet,” Daichi winced as he protected his mouth with his palm.

“Hmm, all in good time, my Love,” Kuroo teased, pulling him in for one last tight hug with a kiss to Daichi’s temple. Daichi sighed as he closed his eyes. He committed the moment to his memory: the heat from Kuroo’s body, his scent, his lips caressing his forehead. It was perfect, and he couldn’t wait for more.

_Patience… we have all the time in the world._

**Author's Note:**

> Writing this story was grueling. I've wanted to do a soulmate au forever so when the idea popped in my head I had to jump right on it, and it's basically taken me a whole week to write it. I hope you all enjoy it!!  
> Also, I'll go ahead and give you the other soulmate couples hinted, though I'm sure most of them you could figure out:  
> Suga x Ushijima  
> Asahi x Yukie  
> Nishinoya x Yaku  
> Kenma x Yamamoto  
> I had originally planned on doing a bit more with Asahi and Yukie, but I didn't want to draw this out any further. Maybe a sequel? Hmmm.


End file.
